Breathless
by Chaimera
Summary: Some things just leave you breathless.


**Disclaimer: I am poor. I do not own the Doctor, Rose, Mickey or the TARDIS. I own the chipper. And unfortunately it's not real so, I own nothing. **

**Hello. Yes, tis true. I have joined the legions of Doctor Who-shippers. I quite enjoy it really. This was written before Ep.4 so let's just take it as AU shall we.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

**Breathless**

**By Chaimera**

Rose watched the Doctor spin a wheel, push a button, pull a lever. She had watched him to this nearly everyday for the last four years and, still, the TARDIS was a mystery to her. She had never really been able to get to grips with it's size either. Every time she had thought she'd found the end the Doctor would open another door. The Doctor looked up at her and grinned.

"There we go. Earth, London, 2005. Right where I found you, I hope. What do you want to do? Get chips? Visit your mum?"

She shook her head and approached him slowly.

"Doctor…"

"Yeah?"

"It's been an interesting four years, to say the least. I'll always miss you and I will always love you."

She reached up and placed a small kiss on his cheek before turning swiftly and disappearing out the door.

The Doctor stared at her retreating form, frozen in confusion as she walked out the door. After a moment he sprang into action and ran out the door after her.

Rose cursed slightly as she rounded a corner and leant against the wall there. The rain was pouring down but she really didn't care as she attempted, unsuccessfully, to quell the flood of tears that threatened to fall. That was officially the hardest thing she had ever had to do. She raked her hand through her wet hair and let out a sad, heavy sigh.

The Doctor slammed the door of the TARDIS behind him and looked around.

"Rose?" He cursed in a non-terrestrial language and started down the road. "Rose!"

He turned a corner and saw her leaning against a wall. It looked as though she might have been crying but if so, her tears had mixed with the heavy rain that had soaked them both. He grabbed her arm, turning her to look at him.

"What was all that about, eh? Just go, with out a by or leave?"

She jerked her arm from his grip and looked away angrily.

"Look, it's not like I want to go, alright? I just can't stay!"

"Why? Why not?"

She looked up at him, pinning him with an intense stare that made him mentally shiver.

"Time changes things, Doctor. You know that. It changes everything except you. I mean, I know you have that regeneration thing or whatever, but in the last four years, you haven't changed. All this time, I'm still that naïve little human you picked up one day. I'll never be anything else but that. Not to you. You don't even realise how much you mean to me, do you?"

She shook her head in a defeated manner and stepped back from him.

He wasn't quite sure what she was on about, but he had to make her come back.

"So stay. Come with me. If I mean that much to you."

She took a further step back. "That is exactly why I can't stay… what I said in the TARDIS. I meant it. From the bottom of my heart."

She turned and walked away from him, thick tears slipping down her face, mixing with the rain water to drip off her chin. She turned a corner and left him alone, in the rain.

He watched her disappear and shook his head. What the hell had she said in the TARDIS? He thought hard and suddenly his eyes widened in shock and realisation. He bolted after her, feet pounding against the cement, water splashing as he ran up behind her. She yelped when he grabbed her elbow, spinning her around once more to face him.

"I… I…"

She stared at him, raising an eyebrow at his breathless stammering.

"You…You…? What?"

"I…Oh, screw it."

He pulled her forward and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was deep and passionate and full of a longing and emotion that nearly overwhelmed them both. When they finally surfaced for air, she looked up at him, eyes wide.

"I…um…I…"

He grinned at her. "Yeah, you."

He pushed some wet hair from her face and smiled. "See, it turns out, that I love you Rose Tyler. Only took me two years to figure it out."

He felt her grip on him tighten slightly as she smiled softly.

"What about the other two years?"

"Ahh, those two were spent trying to figure out how to tell you, without you running away of course. 'Course if I had just told you in the first place, or if you had told me. I'm not taking all the blame for this one you know. We could have spared ourselves this little drama."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him again. "I love you Doctor."

"And I love you Rose. Come with me."

She shrugged and grabbed his hand, their fingers entwining. "I suppose it could be a laugh."

He grinned and tugged her along, heading back to the TARDIS.

The, admittedly, odd couple made their way back towards the blue 1950's police box when Rose paused, pulling the Doctor to a stop.

"Ohh, I want chips."

The Doctor laughed and she gave him a mock scowl. "Don't make fun of me. It's been ages since we've had chips and it's stopped raining, come on." She dragged him in the direction of the smell that had caught her attention.

* * *

The two sat on a wall next to the battered fish and chip stand. Rose giggled at the face the Doctor made when she sneaked a chip from the newspaper wrapped package. They talked about old times, laughing over instances long past and still blaming each other over who nearly got who killed, but it was different this time. There was a new feeling. It was small and subtle but it promised so much more to come. New adventures and possibilities and many more near death experiences.

Rose shivered and the Doctor draped his worn leather jacket around her shoulders. She snuggled into his embrace and as she did his fingers brushed her neck. He could feel the slightly raised skin there of a scar.

He closed his eyes.

It had been a particularly nasty fight and she had nearly died. He remembered his own almost crippling fear when he had seen her lying there. When his hands had been soaked in her blood. It had been his fault. Too many times had it been his fault. Maybe she shouldn't stay with him. Maybe…

"Stop it!"

He looked down at her frowning face. "What?"

"I said stop it! There's no use thinking that it's better for me here. I want to go with you. I always did. My mind's made up, and besides…"

She kissed him softly. "Impossible for me to leave now."

He smiled and lowered his lips to hers. She tasted like vinegar and salt and an indefinable taste that was just Rose. They stayed like that for a long time until…

"Oy! Oy, mate! What do you think you're doing with my girlfriend?"

Rose sighed and pulled back, turning to face her ex.

"Hey Mickey."

"Don't you 'hey Mickey' me. What the hell do you think you were just doing? And…"

He squinted at her through the waning evening light. "…What did you do to your hair?"

Rose fingered her locks which were considerably longer than they were when she had last seen Mickey and were also a shade of dark red due to a recent incident involving the Doctor, his sonic screwdriver and a weird pool on an obscure planet.

"Well, you know, fancied a change."

Mickey shifted uncomfortably at the sight of this girl who was Rose, but not the girl he had seen run into a weird phone box just yesterday.

"Yeah, alright, then what's this about? Cheatin' on me with aliens now?" he said gesturing towards the Doctor who was looking between the pair with an unreadable expression.

Rose sighed again and took his hand. The Doctor frowned at this but decided that silence was the best option considering the dangerous look he had just received from Rose.

"Look, Mickey. You don't really understand. A lot has happened and besides, I left you."

"But I thought…"

"I know. But I did leave you. It's over."

She let his hand drop and turned to the doctor.

"Where to?"

He shrugged and grabbed her hand in his own. "Where ever. When ever."

She smirked and shook her head as she began to walk but the Doctor stayed still. She watched as the Doctor and Mickey stared daggers at each other and shook her head again.

"Just remember mate, she wont stay with an alien. She'll come back."

The Doctor just smiled. "Whatever you say 'mate'."

The pair left, walking in the direction of the TARDIS.

Rose smirked. "You think you're so impressive."

"I am so impressive!"

"Yeah right."

"Right then." He pulled her flush against him.

"I'm just going to have to show you just how impressive I am."

**End.**

**Well, didst thee like it? Do I get a cookie, or am I voted off the island?**

**Reviews and constructive criticism are eternally welcome.**

**Slán**


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